Left: Of course, the first people we run into are Jo (just look at that smile) and husband Peter, shown here with TK co-founder Brian Saltsburg.
Right: Food and travel writer Andrea Rademan, chatting with Bill Chait's girlfriend.

Left: No dinner here would be complete without a sighting of Test Kitchen's resident photographer Ryan Tanaka.
Right:Jo, this time posing with a representative from Share Our Strength.

Del Rio [$12.00] | Tequila, Orange, St. Germain
I decided to do a wine pairing for the first time ever at Test Kitchen, given that the cocktail list hadn't changed since my last visit. There was one exception though: the Del Rio, a new off-menu concoction. It was actually quite tasty, with a bright, floral, citrus-kissed aroma leading to herbal, sweet flavors with a hint of heat. Not bad!

1: Lobster Tartar | Cucumber Mango Ceviche Sauce, Caviar, Sweet Potato Chip [Ricardo Zarate]2009 Baker Lane Syrah Rosé
We began with a ceviche from Ricardo Zarate. The lobster was sweet, with marked undertones of ginger joined by just a hint of heat from the aji amarillo. At the same time, the mango heightened the natural sweetness of the crustacean--though I could've used a bit less of it--while the American sturgeon caviar gave the dish a nicely salty finish. Perhaps my favorite items here though were the sweet potato chips, which lent a great textural play to the course.

2: Oxtail Consommé | Mushroom Royal, Black Truffles [Alain Giraud]Blandy's Rainwater Madeira
Next up was perhaps the tastiest consommé that I'd ever experienced. The soup's bouquet was imbued with a beefy, umami-tinged essence, but its flavor was actually quite restrained, showing off the rich taste of shimeji mushrooms. The crux of the dish, however, was the chicken-black truffle quenelle, which added a heady, hearty flavor to the dish that I adored.

4: "EcoPez" Turbot | Fungi, Seagrass, Ash Oil [Michael Voltaggio]2009 Martian Ranch Santa Ynez Viognier
To create the ash element used here, Voltaggio burned leek and mushroom over an open fire, dehydrated and ground up the remains, then mixed the resultant amalgam with EVOO. The fungi, meanwhile, was represented by button and shiitake mushrooms. The fish itself was deftly pan seared, showcasing a firm yet supple flesh paired with a delectably crisp skin, and went beautifully with the ash, mushrooms, and light, tempering flavors of the seagrass especially. Arguably the best preparation of turbot that I've ever had.

One of the benefits of always sitting at Table 44 ("the kevinEats table") was our server Aaron. He always took good care of us.

5: Toasted Wheat Strascinate | Lamb Ragu, Braised Greens, Pecorino [Steve Samson & Zach Pollack]2008 Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz
Strascinate refers to a ear- or disk-shaped wheat and semolina pasta, traditionally from the Puglia region of Italy. The pasta was, of course, housemade, and had a slightly doughy consistency that I enjoyed. The strascinate went superbly with the rustic flavors of the paired lamb ragu, and I appreciated the subtle bitterness from the Swiss chard used. I quite liked the salty overtones of the Pecorino as well.

6: Grilled Pork Tenderloin | Squash, Chestnuts, Bacon, Violet Mustard [Neal Fraser]2008 Josh Klapper/La Fenêtre Pinot Noir
Undeniably tender, succulent, and profoundly flavorful, the tenderloin here was one of the best pieces of pork that I'd ever tasted. The meat easily stood alone, but I also appreciated the smoky nuttiness of the pepitas, as well as the astringency of the nasturtium. However, the chestnut and squash purée was a touch sweet for me; the dish would've been perfect had it just been left off the plate.

Chef Giraud gets working on those menus.

7: Pear Pandowdy | Gingerbread Ice Cream, Pear Bourbon Hard Sauce [Amy Pressman]Intelligentsia Coffee
Tonight was actually my first time having a pandowdy, which is basically a dish of sliced fruit, baked with sugar and spices in a deep dish, then covered in a thick, crisp, crumbly battered crust, often served with ice cream. Here, the dessert was almost bread pudding-like in certain parts, and I enjoyed its sweet, spicy character as well as the boozy flavor of the accompanying Knob Creek hard sauce. Note the "Jewish man" decoration of rye flour.

And with that, we come to the end of a brief era in Los Angeles gastronomy. It was a fitting conclusion to Test Kitchen, with the chefs putting up a strong suite of dishes that really did justice to the concept. What's next? The building housing Test Kitchen, now known as "The Townhouse," will serve as home to Samson & Pollack's upcoming Southern Italian eatery Sotto on the first floor, while the second floor will house Zarate's upscale Peruvian restaurant Picca. Finally, the tiny third floor will be dedicated to a small bar helmed by Julian Cox. Look for the restaurants to debut in the February-March timeframe, with the bar coming sometime afterward. Meanwhile, we haven't heard the last from Chait, Saltsburg and company--there have been rumors circulating that the pop-up will, well, pop-up again somewhere else in the City, and perhaps even across the country. Stay tuned; this story ain't over yet...

Even though the dictionary might say so, you can't just substitute the word "amalgam" for "mixture" as you so often do. It just comes off looking awkward and falsely elegant. Same story with "chew" and "masticate".